In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, about culture in Nigeria and the arrival of Christian missionaries around the end of the nineteenth century, twins are assumed to be supernatural and malevolent creatures and are killed at birth by exposure.

Things Fall Apart is widely considered the greatest English language novel in African history. It is difficult to overstate its cultural significance in Africa, especially the sub-Saharan region. While it is, strictly speaking, a novel, clearly a work of fiction, the customs, practices, geography, languages and cultural movements that serve as the backdrop of the story are reputedly faithfully rendered and have not been altered for dramatic effect.